SSN Policy Manual

Dealing with the Public

agency without including a notice of your dispute. In addition, once you've notified the source of the error in writing, it may not continue to report the information if it is, in fact, an error. Outdated information may not be reported. - In most cases, a consumer reporting agency may not report negative information that is more than seven years old; ten years for bankruptcies. Access to your file is limited. - A consumer reporting agency may provide information about you only to people with a need recognized by the Fair Credit Reporting Act - usually to consider an application with a creditor, insurer, employer, landlord, or other business. Your consent is required for reports that are provided to employers, or reports that contain medical information. - A consumer reporting agency may not give out information about you to your employer, or prospective employer, without your written consent. A consumer reporting agency may not report medical information about you to creditors, insurers, or employers without your permission. You may choose to exclude your name from consumer reporting agency lists for unsolicited credit and insurance offers. - Creditors and insurers may use file information as the basis for sending you unsolicited offers of credit or insurance. Such offers must include a toll-free phone number for you to call if you want your name and address removed from future lists. If you call, you must be kept off the lists for two years. If you request, complete, and return the consumer reporting agency form provided for this purpose, you must be taken off the lists indefinitely. You may seek damages from violators. - If a consumer reporting agency, a user or (in some cases) a provider of consumer reporting agency data, violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you may sue them in state or federal court. Dealing with Idiots There are always those idiots who, no matter what you say, they simply refuse to believe you. These people will not take the time to study the issues or laws, and continue (as the pompous asses that they truly are) to demand that you provide them with a social security number. The following form is especially useful for advising these kinds of people in a very serious way, that they may be headed for much more trouble then they had anticipated. This form provides space for you to record the incident, gives them fair legal notice and provides them an opportunity to cease with their demand and comply with the law. Completing this form and making a copy serves as a witness that they were informed of the law and their legal